Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Burhenn
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am originally from the east coast and went to the University of South Carolina for undergrad, where I majored in hospitality management. I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career, but I liked helping people and having fun, so I focused on event planning. I interned with a wedding planner in Myrtle Beach, then at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Both were great experiences, but not quite what I wanted to do long term.
I moved to DC after graduating and worked at a restaurant while also beginning my corporate career in in-house recruiting at a global business consulting firm. Event planning experience translated well to recruiting so I did quite well, and eventually transitioned into the tech world after relocating to Atlanta. I began working at Instacart in 2019, then I made my way over to Google in 2021.
During this time period, I found myself having great corporate success but feeling drained and misaligned. I worked constantly, and if I didn’t feel like I was the very best Recruiter (or if my metrics weren’t perfect), I felt like a failure. I knew I was meant to do something more but I wasn’t sure what to do, or how to leave the career I had built. I had been introduced to various energy healing modalities in my early 20s, and this gave me an overwhelming feeling of peace and safety. Reiki was my absolute favorite. I would get healings, read books and study about it in my free time. I would ebb and flow with consistency, as sometimes it would trigger my intuitive gifts (which terrified me at the time). I also began meditating and therapy.
In January 2022, I went through a traumatic experience, and Reiki was what made me feel better in my lowest of lows (even though I am a strong advocate of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). It made my passion for the healing modality even stronger. Despite this, I pushed through as a Recruiter, continuing in my role. My husband and I relocated to Austin in July 2022. In January 2023, Tech layoffs began and my role was eliminated. I dove further into meditation, spiritual practices, healing, and working with spiritual and life coaches. I became quite passionate about sharing the tools I learned with others in order to help them heal.
I’ve always had spiritual, intuitive, and empathic gifts, so I eventually embraced these gifts, and embraced the layoff as a sign. I decided to follow my passion of helping others in their healing journey, enroll in formal curriculum, and open my very own healing business in January. I love my clients, I love what I do, and I am so grateful I get to support and hold healing space for others, as others have done for me.
While I have pivoted careers, I am extremely grateful for the corporate work experience I had and all the gifts, relationships, and learning lessons it provided me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Opening a business to me feels like driving down a beautiful, long, winding road. Sometimes there are bumps and it gets curvy, sometimes there’s a bit of traffic, and other times it feels smooth and blissful. The driving feels steady, the music is good, and the temperature is just right.
Starting a new business from scratch can be challenging and expensive. You have to be a self-starter, organized, and disciplined. Opening an alternative healing business is even scarier for someone coming from a more “traditional” corporate background. Some people in my life were extremely supportive, and others felt I was making a huge mistake by leaving my previous career behind. I really had to work through the fear of judgement. I had to embrace that there will always be skeptics and it is critical to surround myself with people who are supportive.
It is also challenging to work for yourself when you are used to a consistent salary, work schedule, and benefits. You must be passionate and resourceful to completely start fresh. Occasionally I still sometimes struggle with the fact that I do not earn nearly as much money as I once did – but this work is about helping people. Money comes and money goes. I feel more abundant, happy, and fulfilled after a session than I ever did after a corporate work day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am an Usui Reiki Master, a Spiritual & Meditation Teacher, and a Crystal Healer. I am trained and certified in a variety of additional healing modalities such as sound healing, chakra balancing, oracle readings, ceremony facilitation, and beyond. I facilitate unique healings that usually include reiki, guided meditations, crystals, and sound. However, every healing is unique and tailored to the individual. I also facilitate healings on animals.
For clients who aren’t interested in energy healing, chakras, or crystals, I also conduct sessions based around mindfulness and meditation. As someone who spent a lot of time in the corporate world, I am passionate about helping corporate individuals achieve more stillness and balance during their busy days. I am launching corporate meditation and healing offerings this fall!
I absolutely love crystals and offer them for purchase – sometimes I bring them to client sessions, sometimes I sell them online (to folks located in Austin, I do not provide shipping services at this time) and I also offer 1:1 and group crystal shopping appointments. Selling and teaching clients about crystals is so much fun!
I travel to my clients for their sessions, and keep my prices as low as possible in order to make healing accessible for everyone. I like to bring healing gifts when I am able, like small crystals or bath salt blends. Most of my clients are very consistent with sessions – typically I see a client every 2-6 weeks. I always check in on them after a session to see how they are feeling, and from time to time between sessions. We develop strong bonds naturally.
While I have experience working with a variety of individuals, I specialize in supporting women (of all ages, backgrounds, and professions). I have experience with teens as well as with individuals in hospice. I also work with families – I have sets of mother/daughter clients, and a trio of grandmother/mother/daughter clients.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
This answer changes for me because everything in life is cyclical, including work and success. I believe different qualities/characteristics are emphasized and needed in order to succeed based on the cycle of where we are in our career.
Right now, I think passion has driven me to succeed as a small business owner. The passion to help others, to share ancient knowledge, to hold healing space, to create meditations, to share crystals, to do what I can do to support others outweighs the fear of the unknown and the radical life change I’ve made. When we are in alignment with our purpose, we naturally work hard and success follows.
Pricing:
- $125/in person healing (local to ATX)
- $100/virtual healings
- $90/pet healings with 15 minutes of free Reiki for owners
- $20/pet Reiki add on for clients who are already scheduled for a healing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.albenergyhealing.com
- Instagram: @alexislburhenn
Image Credits
Misty Ranae Photography
